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Dans les coulisses

The Oilers won… even if Connor McDavid didn’t score a point

EDMONTON, ALBERTA - JUNE 21: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers skates while Brandon Montour #62 of the Florida Panthers defends during the second period of Game Six of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place on June 21, 2024 in Edmonton, Alberta. (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images)

The Oilers forced a Game 7 against the Panthers with a big 5-1 win last night .

How did the fans in Edmonton react to their club’s win?

That’s an easy question to answer: it was a post-game party in the streets there. And I’m not exaggerating:

Overall, all the players did well for the Oilers.

Leon Draisaitl (finally) stood up…

Stuart Skinner was solid, making 16 saves on 17 shots (.952 save percentage)…

Zach Hyman continued his hot streak, scoring his 70th goal if you combine the regular season with the playoffs…

Supporting forwards Warren Foegele, Adam Henrique and Ryan McLeod joined the party with a goal apiece…

Darnell Nurse scored in an empty net to destroy the Panthers’ chances of getting back into the game…

But, more importantly, the Oilers found a way to win without Connor McDavid having to carry the team on his back with a multi-point performance.

That means the other players on the team are capable of getting the job done, and that would scare the hell out of me if I were a Panthers player :

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On the other side of the rink, the Panthers look lost.

The defensive system isn’t working, they’re struggling to create scoring chances (give the Oilers credit, too) and Sergei Bobrovsky isn’t playing like the Sergei Bobrovsky we’ve seen since the start of the series.

Are the Panthers broken?

One thing’s for sure, they’ll have to wake up early next Monday if they want a chance to lift the Stanley Cup.

The Oilers have just scored 18 goals in their last three games, they look hungry on the ice, they’re in control of their emotions (they celebrated soberly after yesterday’s win)… And if Connor McDavid can put in another big performance, the Panthers will have their work cut out for them.

Promising, at least. And it’s good to see that the final is so exciting for fans, even if it finishes late.

Overtime

– I can’t wait either.

– Happy reading.

– Reminder:

– Fan passion is magic.